The Largest Gold Nuggets Ever Found

Australia is the land of the gold nuggets with some of the worlds largest gold nuggets ever found, right here in the big land of Oz.

But ever wondered just how big they were, and how much they are worth? We’ll go through the largest five nuggets and give you the amazing stories behind the finds.

The ‘Normandy’ Nugget

Weight: 25.5kg

In 1995 the Normandy Nugget was found in a dry creek bed in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. It is now owned by the Newmont Mining Company and you can find the real nugget on display at the Perth Mint.

Worth: Just over $1 million

Image http://www.gold-net.com.au/archivemagazines/apr20/normnug.html

The Poseidon

Weight: 29.6

The Poseidon was a Melbourne Cup winning horse in 1906. 1906 also saw the discovery of a 29.6kg nugget in the area called ‘Poseidon Lead’ which is near Tarnagulal, Victoria. The area went on to produce many gold nugget discoveries, but none of this size.

The ‘Hand of Faith’ Nugget

Weight: 27.2kg

The ‘Hand of Faith’ Nugget is the largest gold nugget that was found using a metal detector. It was found behind the local State School on September 1980 in Kingower Victoria. The finder of the nugget, Kevin Hillier, sold the nugget to a casino in Las Vegas where it is still on public display.

Worth: $1.4 million.

Image https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstanleytravel/8226787549

The ‘Welcome’ Nugget

Weight: 68.2kg

The Welcome Nugget was found by Cornish miners working for the Red Hill Mining Company in Bakery Hill, Ballarat in June 1858. It was sold and ended up in the Crystal Palace in London and was then sold the Royal Mint and used to make gold sovereigns.

A replica of the nugget can be found in the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge.

Worth: $4 million

The replica of the Welcome Nugget (Wikipedia)

The ‘Welcome Stranger’ Nugget

Weight: 72kg

The Welcome Stranger Nugget was found in Moliagul, Victoria in 1869 only three centimetres below the grounds surface. It is the largest alluvial gold nugget ever found. Prospectors John Deason and Richard Oates found the nugget

A replica of the amazing nugget can be found in the City Museum in Melbourne. You can also visit the site of the nugget discovery where a stone monument has been erected.